Walk Off
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Double Play Series
Nicole Rodrigues
Table of Contents
Walk Off
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Walk Off
Nicholas “Nico” Johnson, aka ‘Hulk’. The man that got past all my defenses despite my efforts to keep him at a distance. It's a lost cause because our bodies call to each other, like a moth to a flame, we give in. Time and time again we come together and crackle like lightning. I said we were done, for good this time, but the funny thing about desire is you don’t tell it when it’s done, it tells you. Our desire would never be done, oh no baby, it was just getting started.
----
An impenetrable wall was built around her heart. That’s what she said anyway, but I didn’t care. Lacey Turner was my kryptonite, my Achilles heel. We were the golden couple, the love that everyone secretly wished for themselves, but obstacles keep getting put in our way, testing the strength of our connection.
Our bodies know exactly what to do behind closed doors, but we can’t seem to get it right elsewhere. As long as I can keep her in my bed, I’ll find a way to make everything else fall into place. Just when I think I have it right there are those obstacles again, but this time we have no choice but to overcome them.
The game between us has always been tied, but with so many extra innings one of us is bound to hit a walk off to end it. Lacey finally does it with those two little words...and no they aren’t home run.
Acknowledgements
First, I would l like to thank my amazing husband. Without your support and love I would have never had the courage to even publish my work in the first place.
My readers. Thank you for your kind words, reading my stories, leaving reviews, spreading the word and just sharing your love of reading with me.
Thank you to my Double Play promo team! Your presence on social media and support for me is incredible. There are not enough words in the english language for all you do for me. I say this all the time but there are no truer words; if there was no you there would be no me. Thank you for continuing on this journey for me and loving the Gavinwood/ Turner clan as much as me!
Thank you to the amazing writing community, my fellow authors that understand the life and stand next to me with all your guidance and inspiration!
Hope y’all are ready for this incredible ride! The next generation of ballers is ready to light up your kindle!
Happy Reading!
Prologue
Nico
I put my car in park and hop out before cutting the engine. I race to the front door, noticing Lacey’s car isn't there but I pound harder, my frustration my anger at all of this shit. She'll never believe me. I broke down all her walls, she trusted me, let me into her heart and now this shit.
“Fuck!” I yell running back to my car and speeding to the Double Play building.
I whip into a spot and run to the glass doors, yanking them open and sprint to the door of the Double Play offices, pulling them open and frantically running towards the back. I don't want to make a scene, but I need to explain this.
“Where the hell do you think you're goin’?” Savannah, Lacey's mother asks stopping me in my tracks crossing her arms over her chest.
“I need to talk to her, Savannah, and explain this,” I plead with her.
“Listen to me,” she says in a low tone, walking closer to me and poking her finger into my hard chest. “She’s a fuckin’ wreck and she never, I repeat never, has been this broken, Nicholas. Get your ass out of this office and when she's ready to talk to you, she will. So help me God if there is not a good explanation for this, I will destroy you. Do you understand me?”
I tower over Savannah Turner and right now she has my back to the wall and a look that will strike me dead, shrinking me down to a big pile of shit. I swear I see Lacey in her and it's crazy to me that they are not blood related. I smirk shaking my head.
“What the fuck is so funny!” she yells pushing my chest.
“No! No, I'm not...you just...remind me a lot of Lacey. I'm sorry I...I'm not laughing. I...I swear Savannah I have no idea what happened. I wouldn’t have...I would never do anything in my entire life to hurt her. I love her with everything I have. I fucked up in the past, but I would never betray her like that. Believe me, please. I’ll find a way to prove it.”
“It doesn't matter what I believe,” she snaps. “She matters to me. If she wants to believe you, then I support her but when she comes in here like she did this mornin’, I become a special kind of monster. Do you get me?”
“Yes, yes I get you. Just...tell her to pick up the phone. Please, Savannah, tell her to pick up the phone,” I say desperately.
She closes her eyes and exhales. She nods and backs away from me, walking back down the hall and I glance up to see Lacey's door shut quickly. She's here.
Dammit.
Let her have her space Nico, walk away and let her come to you. If you love her, walk the hell away.
Lacey
I stand in the VIP box surrounded by the people I love to celebrate Normani and my cousin Devins engagement, the real one this time. Instinctively, my hand goes over my small belly and I take it off.
It was negative, Lacey, nothing is in there.
I shake my head, pushing the disappointment out. Thank God it was. Raising a baby with a man that cheats on the woman he loves would have been a disaster. I’ve ignored his calls the past few days since texting him not to come home.
We've been living together the past few months whenever he's not on the road playing, but now, God knows where he's staying. I ignored the pull of running to him in the office the other day when he tried to get past my mama to talk to me. I can’t face him.
I stand around the group, not really listening to what everyone is saying as I try and pull myself out of this fog.
“Hey, can I talk to you?” someone whispers next to me.
I smell him and my stomach drops. Why the fuck is he here? I turn slowly, shooting daggers at him and walk towards the exit of the suite.
I walk down the hall a little and turn, waiting for him to give me some bullshit excuse.
“Lacey, I swear to you, I don't know what the hell happened that night. I was going to the bathroom, the next thing I know I'm back in my apartment and I don't have a fuckin’ clue how I got there.”
“Great! So reassurin’. How about this? Next time don’t fuckin’ drink your face off and cheat on the best thing that ever walked into your life. I'm so happy I-” I stop the words from tumbling out.
As much as I want to hurt him, telling him I’m happy I’m not pregnant with his baby would hurt me more than him. I can't bring myself to say them. I'm just exhausted and I want to go home.
“I swear, Lacey I would never-”
“You did! There's pictures and I can't fuckin’ unsee any of those! Just leave me alone, Nicholas, please. I'm beggin’ you and you know I don't beg,” I say my
voice breaking.
“You do beg, Blondie,” he says backing me against the wall. “You beg me to make you feel good. Let me come home and make you feel good. Forget about all this. Bring it back to me and you, please.”
I push off his chest and shake my head, tears streaming down my face as I grit my teeth.
“Don't you dare put your hands on me after what you did! Don't try and weasel your way into my heart again through my pussy, Nico, because it ain’t happenin’ this time. I can't believe you even tried. I'm no one’s sloppy seconds.”
I turn on my heels wiping my face and slam open the suite door looking around for my bag. It's not where I left it, so I walk around, searching until I find it on the floor. I say goodbye to everyone and walk back out towards my car, Nico nowhere to be found.
Good. I’ll give myself a few more days to mourn the loss of a love so great I thought it was forever, and then I’m done. Moving on with my life, one miserable day at a time.
Chapter 1
Nico
“What the fuck is he doin’ here?” Devin snaps at me.
“He's my brother, Devin. Cool it,” Damon says back.
I shake my head slumping into a seat at the end of the booth motioning for the waitress.
“You're just lucky Lacey ain't comin’,” Devin grumbles as Normani puts a hand on his shoulder.
He puts his hand on top of hers and brings her around to sit on his lap, his hand over her small belly.
Something deep down inside me claws its way up.
Envy.
I fucking envy them. All of them. We were that couple. The one that everyone looked at, longed to be, now we're broken beyond repair.
“Well….” Bella says trailing off.
I look up at her and her eyes zone in on me.
“She might be comin’.”
My ears perk up and Devin’s head snaps to her.
“What do you mean, she might be comin’?” he says.
“I just have a hard time believin’ that any man that shares DNA with my husband could possibly cheat on the best thing that's ever happened to him.”
I swear if my brother wouldn't kick my ass, I'd kiss her.
Her gaze never falters from mine and I mouth “thank you”. She nods and continues to sip her drink, putting an arm on Damon's shoulder and kissing his cheek.
He whispers something to her and then looks over at me, smiling.
I’ve been crashing at their house, drowning my sorrows the past week since our fight at Devin’s game. I’m trying to give her space but it’s killing me. I want to talk to her, try to explain that picture, I just don’t know what to say. I don’t want this to be over between the two of us.
Being with my niece and nephew, Mia and Mason, has kept me from going to the nearest bar and picking a fight with some asshole, just so I can pound someone, let all this frustration out.
The bartender comes over and I order a whiskey on the rocks, leaning back in the booth and glance around the bar. I take a sip letting the familiarity of it hit me. Laceys signature drink, I’m torturing myself tonight.
The doors open and in walks my woman wearing a black tank top, black jeans, black heels and her black leather jacket. Her hair is tossed around without a care and she strides up to the group without looking my way.
“I like the black, Lacey,” Normani compliments.
“Black like my heart,” she retorts. “Whiskey, rocks,” she says to the bartender.
She takes a seat in the booth, the furthest seat away from me and crosses her sexy legs, arms folded across her chest.
“Glad you came,” Bella says smiling.
“Couldn't miss D-mans birthday. Cheers.”
She grabs the whiskey from the bartenders tray and puts her glass in the air and then goes to sip it but puts it down, wincing.
I furrow my brows at her, and she glances up noticing and looks away quickly.
“Let’s go dance,” Bella says pulling Normani and Lacey out to the dance floor.
I watch the three of them go out to the floor and I order myself another drink.
“Don’t ya think you should slow down. The whole world remembers what you did last time you got sloshed,” Devin snaps.
“You wanna eat shit, Gavinwood? I don’t need you on my ass right now,” I growl.
“Easy, easy,” Damon says stepping in between us. “It’s my birthday, don’t fuck up the night. Devin’s gonna be a dad, we have a lot to celebrate.”
“Yeah, everyone else here does,” I mumble sitting back in my chair.
“We’ll figure it out, okay?” Damon says pounding my shoulder.
I nod and reach for another drink, downing that one too. I’m not feeling shit and I’ve had three drinks already, how the hell did I black out with only two last time?
“You really didn’t cheat on her?” Devin asks.
“I...no I...I don’t fuckin’ remember.” I shake my head and watch Lacey dancing, her smile as fake as this fuckin’ whiskey.
“I’m gonna head out,” I say getting to my feet and throwing a couple bills on the table.
“Don’t man,” Damon says putting a hand on my shoulder.
“I can’t do this!” I roar. “Watch her over there, while I’m here. Not able to fuckin’ touch her, not able to talk to her!”
Damon takes a step back and I exhale running a hand down my face looking out to the dance floor. The girls stopped dancing and are looking my way, and even though the music is loud people from the dance floor have stopped and are looking our way too.
“Happy birthday, I’ll take you out another time, okay?”
I glance back to the dance floor and a man has approached the girls, his hand on Lacey’s hip. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m on the dance floor with my fist in his face, standing over his squirming body, my own body shaking.
“Don’t put your hands on her again,” I growl.
He gets to his feet with his hands up and walks away and I feel a soft punch in my back.
“What the hell was that, Nico? We aren’t together! Don’t-” I cut her off with a kiss.
I need it to calm me, to bring me back to a place where I don’t want to strangle something. I’m out of control, that night replaying like a movie in my head. How did I get back to my apartment, what the fuck happened? How do I get the woman I love back?
She pulls away from me and slaps me across the face and I know I deserve it. I revel in her touch, even if it’s a hateful one.
“Go to hell,” she seethes walking away from me.
I touch my cheek and nod and walk out of the bar, calling a cab and brace myself for another sleepless night without Lacey Turner in my bed.
Lacey
I hear a knock on my door and groan as I pull my weakened body off the couch. I wipe the drool from my mouth and try and open my eyes wide to wake myself up. My head is spinning and the knocking continues.
“Open the fuckin’ door, Lacey,” I hear Bella yell from the other side of the door.
“For Christs sake,” I mumble.
I walk to the door swinging it open and turn my back, walking towards the couch again.
“God, it smells like someone died in here. What the hell Lace?”
“Fuck off, Bella. Love you, but just stop talkin’.”
“You seemed okay last night, what happened?” she asks.
“I was okay, until he kissed me. Until I come back home and I remember when he fucked me on this damn floor, or carried me upstairs and forced me to let him stay the night in his arms. Or when he moved his shit in here and then stole my heart only to rip it out and feed it to the slut that he had his hands all over two weeks ago.”
“Lacey…”
“Don’t, Bells.”
“Well, what the hell is all this?” she motions for the coffee table at the bottles strewn about.
“Does it matter? It didn't fix this, nothin’ will fix this.”
“Tell me you didn’t drink all of these when we dropped you
home last night,” Bella gasps.
“I didn’t drink all of those when you dropped me home last night. I tried but the smell made me nauseous. They were Nico’s favorite, so I dumped them all down the drain.”
“Jesus,” Bella says.
I lay my head back on the couch and close my eyes.
“Up,” Normani says angrily.
I snap open my eyes and grill both of them.
“Why the hell did y'all come here?” I say getting to my feet.
Walk Off (Double Play Series Book 5) Page 1